Not only has my family lived abroad for 2 years together, but we’ve traveled full-time for the past year together. And our family has never been as close and as strong as we have been because of it! Family travel is so rewarding! Here are 5 ways traveling can strengthen your family and why you should do it!
You Experience New Things Together
When you travel to a new place, you get to experience new things. New foods, new people, new cultures, new smells, new sites…all the new things! And you get to do it together. When you experience new things together, you create a bond. You create opinions together, experiences together, memories together. It’s the best! Tasting Thai food in Thailand, watching a Chinese New Year performance in Malaysia, snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef, attending a Broadway show in New York city, and eating gelato in Italy are all new experiences we did together this year that will last a lifetime!
You Rely on Each Other
Because you’re experiencing new things in new places, you learn to rely on each other. You don’t know anyone. You don’t know where you’re going. You learn together. You grow together. You rely on each other’s strengths and lift each other up. Our kids learned to get along better with each other because they don’t have anyone else to talk to and play with! Public transit is always tough when going to a new place. So thank goodness my husband takes the rein on getting around while my family can count on me to always be able to whip something up in the kitchen with whatever ingredients we can find at the local store.
You Create Memories Together
When you’re doing family travel, you get to create memories together! You get to go to new places, see new things, experience new experiences and create really cool memories together. Now, sometimes those memories are awesome and good. And sometimes those memories are not so good….like having to be stranded at an airport for 2 days because of a delayed flight with Burger King vouchers for all 3 meals. But whether they’re good or bad experiences, they’re memories nonetheless and you will talk about them for years to come!
You Do Hard Things Together
Traveling isn’t always butterflies and roses. There can be some tough times thrown in the mix. And you learn to do hard things together. You get to see Dad step up to the plate or Mom show her extra nurturing side or the kids practice patience. It’s so good to see your loved one be tough. It’s so good to go through hard times together and see how you make it through. It’s so rewarding growing stronger together! Doing hard things like having super long travel days, getting our rental van stuck in a ditch in Italy, almost losing our son on a train, and not being able to find a restaurant that’s open are just a few of the hard things we’ve had to deal with when traveling. But those times toughen us and make us stronger.
You Count Your Blessings
When you have the opportunity to visit new places, you learn to appreciate the modern conveniences that you have at home. You see what others live with and how they live and you count your blessings. You learn to not take little things for granted. Visiting a place like Bali, Thailand, or Dominican Republic, will really make you appreciate the warm bed, hot water, dishwasher, and washer and dryer you have at home. Family travel can be so rewarding! When you do family travel, you learn, grow, and create memories together that will last a lifetime.
You can read about our favorite places to travel in Italy HERE!
You can read about our London experience from a kid’s perspective HERE!
